I just had a vinyl inground saltwater pool put in. It's free form 18x36 with a 6ft diameter 12 inch reef. The builder got it up and going and hasn't been helpful in what to look for on testing. Our pool kit came with the chemical and ph test tubes and drops. I don't have salt strips yet cause they were out, hoping to get some tmrw. The ph is 7.2 and the chlorine doesn't even register. Here's my question, I assume we up the salt if the test strips show it low. But does uping the salt bring the chlorine level higher? Or would that adjust the ph level? We literally have no idea what any other levels of anything are, as this is the only test kit we got. Since our ph is good but our chlorine is low, I just don't know if we should up the salt to bring the chlorine up. Our builder said he would test it and adjust it if needed, but what is he adjusting? And I need to know what to doyself since I will be testing it as needed. Any help would be great.
New saltwater pool, not sure what to test
- Thread starter Shannabennett
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!!The answer to your title is ... test everything ... and by everything I mean all the tests that are part of the Recommended Test Kits ... plus adding a salt test (the Taylor is better than the strips). I am sure the free test kit you got is not adequate to maintain a pool.
Adding salt does not raise the chlorine level. You should add bleach ASAP so that nothing starts to grow. BUT, the level of chlorine (FC) you need to maintain is a function of your stabilizer (CYA) level according to the FC/CYA Chart
Have you discovered Pool School yet? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Water Balance for SWGs
Thanks, I will look through all of the stuff you recommend. I don't know why he didn't tell me anything on minting the water balance. We got the salt added and what not 3 days ago, he said it was fine, and today there is algae growing on the floor in several places. I will have to do my own research I guess!
You cannot rely on the swg to raise the chlorine from zero. It just doesn't work fast enough. That is why you need to boost the chlorine level with bleach. And if you do not have stabilizer in the water the Sun is going to burn off the chlorine as fast as the swg can make it.
Nevermind, ordered the Taylor kit, I will everything and balance per instructuins. Hopefully that will even everything out. Thanks for the help.
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Nevermind, ordered the Taylor kit, I will test everything and balance per instructuins. Hopefully that will even everything out. Thanks for the help.
- - - Updated - - -
Nevermind, ordered the Taylor kit, I will test everything and balance per instructuins. Hopefully that will even everything out. Thanks for the help.
Post up the results when you have them and we can help guide you to balancing. Do not follow the recommendations in the kit.